Focus is key: 6 cloud startups kicking ass by going narrow

The companies on our list are all tackling different sectors but share a capability to surmount regulatory hurdles, win over large corporate customers, and pull in sizable revenues. Or they simply are tackling a challenge in their sector in an eye-opening and innovative way that’s begging for attention

Venture capitalists are betting on cloud startups with a specific focus: health care, financial services, real estate, and other industries. This more specialized, “vertical” industry approach is a stark contrast to the more horizontal approach taken by first-generation cloud companies. Emergence Capital founder Gordon Ritter believes the next generation of cloud companies won’t try to do it all and cater to every sector, like Salesforce.